The invention relates to a golf club weight. In particular, the invention is a weight that is secured around a golf club shaft to aid a golfer in golf swing training and golf warm-up activities.
Golf is a popular sport and pastime for men and women of all ages. It is often difficult to excel at the game due to the high level of precision and accuracy necessary to complete a hole at or under par. Thus, golfers spend a lot of time practicing on their golf club swing in order to improve their game. A strong and accurate swing of the golf club is crucial to a good game. To this end, weights are often added to the golf club shaft during driving practice to aid the golfer in improving his or her swing. The added weight permits the golfer to achieve a greater distance in driving the ball, thereby decreasing the number of strokes necessary to sink the ball into the intended hole. Thus, it is advantageous for a golfer to use a heavier club during practice in order to increase the speed of his or her swing during a game. However, it is not always convenient to keep a heavier club available. Further, it is desirable to use a club which is heavier, but provides the same feel in all other respects.
Thus, there exists a need for a weight that is secured around a golf club shaft for enhancing a golfer""s swing. Such a weight should be easily attachable to the club without interfering with the golfer""s grip thereon. The amount of weight should be adjustable in order to accommodate the golfer""s ability and strength.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,378 to Getts discloses a golf club counterweight that is releasably attachable to a golf club shaft. The counterweight may be relocated along the length of the shaft to affect the weight distribution of the golf club.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,394 to Tanampai discloses a shaft attachable golf club weight for adding weight to the club when swinging same. However, the weight has a clamp portion that attaches to the club, and a weight portion that extends substantially perpendicular to the club.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,346 to Strahan discloses a golf swing training device, particularly for use in perfecting an xe2x80x9cinside-outxe2x80x9d swing of a golf club.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,608,409 to Pinkerton discloses a golf swing trainer that provides an added weight on the golf club. However, the trainer device is designed to alert the golfer to faults being committed during the golf swing, and assist the golfer in rectifying said faults.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,006 to Gruber discloses a golf practice enhancer that is attached to a golf club shaft. The device has two weighted elements that are selectively coupled together, wherein the distance between the elements may be adjusted in order to position the device at any point along the shaft.
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved golf club weight. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved golf club weight which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a golf club weight that is secured around a shaft of a golf club for aiding a golfer in swing training and warm up activities. The weight has a primary sleeve, a secondary sleeve, and a securement means. The securement means serves to fix the relative angular positions of the primary sleeve and the secondary sleeve for securement around the golf club shaft. A set screw extends through the primary sleeve and, when tightened, fixes the relative positions of the secondary sleeve and the primary sleeve. Attachment weights may be added to the golf club weight to increase the overall weight applied to the golf club.
It is an object of the invention to produce a golf club weight that adds weight to a golf club for aiding a golfer during practice swings. Accordingly, the golf club weight has a primary sleeve and a secondary sleeve, with a longitudinal shaft slot which is selectively common to both sleeves. The shaft slot is selectively mateable with the golf club shaft, and the weight is secured thereto by rotating the secondary sleeve about the primary sleeve.
It is a further object of the invention to produce a golf club weight to which additional weights may be secured in order to increase the overall weight attached to the golf club shaft. Accordingly, additional weights may be selectively attached to either the primary or secondary sleeve of the golf club weight.